Overwatch 2 Season 16 Perks update targets Sombra, Mercy, and Juno

The Overwatch 2 Perks system launched in Season 15 and shook up the meta and gameplay. Now, with Season 16 on the way, associate game director Alec Dawson reflected on the Perks system and announced some upcoming changes to Sombra, Mercy, and Juno.

According to Dawson, certain Perks such as Ana’s Shrike and Bastion’s Lindholm Explosives have been favorites among Overwatch 2 players so far. This is because they change the gameplay in meaningful ways. He also said players shouldn't feel like they’ve picked the wrong Perk during a match.

"Maps, team compositions, enemy heroes, and personal playstyles should all influence your decisions, but one Perk shouldn’t be the default go-to in every situation," he explained.

Therefore, the Overwatch 2 team looked at data on pick rates, moment-to-moment gameplay and more. As a result, Sombra will receive an updated Perk kit in Season 16. Next, Mercy will get the Angelic Resurrection Perk while Juno will gain a Major Perk that lets her play more aggressively.

At the time of publishing this article, Sombra's Perks are Viral Efficacy, CTRL Alt ESC, White Hat, and Stack Overflow. In Overwatch 2 Season 16, however, Stack Overflow will be replaced with Viral Replication. This new Perk will let Sombra's Virus spread to nearby enemies.

Meanwhile, Mercy's current Perks include Angelic Recovery, Winged Reach, Chain Boost, and Flash Heal. According to Dawson, Angelic Recovery felt a bit passive. Therefore, Angelic Resurrection in Season 16 will give 100 overhealth upon casting Resurrect.

As for Juno, her current Perks are Familiar Vitals, Hyper Boost, Master Blaster, and Re-Boots. In Season 16, Locked On will be a new major Perk that lowers the cooldown of Pulsar Torpedoes for every enemy hit. Meanwhile, the major Re-Boots Perk will replace Hyper Boost as a minor Perk.

In terms of other changes to Overwatch 2 Season 16 Perks, Dawson stated that players have been enjoying the Perks with elements of a hero's old kit. Orisa’s Protective Barrier and Hanzo’s Scatter Arrow are a couple of examples. He added that he didn't want to give everything away yet, but he did tease that another classic ability will return in the form of a major Perk for "a certain icy DPS hero."

That's all for now. Are you ready for Overwatch 2 Season 16? Stick around on esports.gg for more news and updates.